Foundation completes inaugural Future Talent Programme
Pete Ball said: “Supporting future talent is an important part of who we are as a business and sits alongside our purpose of making mortgages happen."
Foundation completed its first Future Talent Programme, providing workplace experience to 18 people aged between 16 and 25.
The two-week programme ran from 17th to 28th August and covered roles in sales, underwriting, operations, customer service, finance, risk and compliance, IT, HR, learning and development, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) and equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI).
More than 50 Foundation employees took part.
Participants also received CV and interview support, networking advice, career development sessions and an Insights Discovery evaluation.
Iain Berthelemy, group head of learning and development at Foundation, said: “This programme was never about creating a traditional internship.
“From day one, it was built around giving something meaningful to the young people taking part and helping them prepare for whatever comes next in their careers.
“We wanted to do everything we could to help equip young people with the skills and confidence they’ll need for modern working life.”
Berthelemy added: “Whether they go on to work in an office, work from home or as part of a hybrid team, understanding workplace expectations and building confidence are skills that will benefit them throughout their careers.
“We wanted to give them more than just time spent watching other people work, so we built the programme around practical projects, career development and opportunities to better understand their own strengths and potential.”
Participants worked on projects, heard from employees about their careers and presented ideas to senior leaders.
They will continue to receive references, networking advice, social media guidance and access to Foundation’s online alumni community.
Berthelemy said: “Many participants arrived understandably apprehensive, but within days they were presenting project outcomes to colleagues and senior leaders. Their confidence grew every day.
“Many told us they felt more prepared for the future, more confident in their abilities and reassured that there is no single route into a business like ours.
“Watching that shift in perspective was incredibly rewarding.”
Berthelemy added: “What we’re most proud of is that the support doesn’t end when the programme finishes.
“We want participants to know they have an ongoing network they can turn to as they take their next steps.”
Kayla Docis, a Future Talent participant, said: “Foundation was a warm, welcoming environment where I have made great friends and connections.
“It taught me the benefits of working in an office environment and overall has helped me narrow down career paths.
“I am now looking to start a career in Finance and feel fully supported by Foundation moving forward.”
The programme received an overall satisfaction score of more than 4.8 out of five and a net promoter score of +100 for whether participants would recommend it.
Lisa Fisher, group director of HR at Foundation, said: “The talent we witnessed throughout the Future Talent Programme was remarkable.
“What stayed with me most, however, were some of the personal stories’ participants shared about the challenges they had faced simply trying to access opportunities and gain experience.
“We witnessed young people presenting to senior leaders, building professional networks, developing their employability skills and growing in confidence every day.”
Fisher added: “It reinforced my belief that as employers we have a significant role to play in bridging the gap between education and employment.
“If we want to develop the workforce of the future, we need to create more opportunities like this – the challenge is not a lack of talent, it’s creating opportunities for that talent to be seen.”
Pete Ball, CEO of Foundation, said: “The Future Talent Programme is a great example of what can happen when a business comes together to invest in people.
“We wanted to create something that gave young people meaningful experience, practical skills and greater confidence about their future.”
“The feedback we’ve received from participants has been invaluable and we’re already looking at how we can make the programme even better.”
Ball added: “This is not a one-off initiative. We fully intend to run the Future Talent Programme again and use what we’ve learned from our first cohort to continue improving the experience and creating more opportunities for young people.
“The enthusiasm, commitment and growth shown by every participant over the two weeks was fantastic to see.
“We’re incredibly proud of what they’ve achieved and grateful to all our colleagues who helped bring the programme to life.”
He said: “Supporting future talent is an important part of who we are as a business and sits alongside our purpose of making mortgages happen.”
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